Powder Her Face

This bawdy British romp is based on the real life of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, whose famously scandalous divorce in the 1960s would have provided weeks’ worth of fodder for today's 24-hour news cycle.  

As intimate details of her sexual proclivities and lurid tales of trysts with potentially-famous partners became public, she earned herself the dubious nickname of "The Dirty Duchess."  

Contemporary British composer Thomas Adès created a chamber opera with a story both comic and tragic, as groundbreaking in its subject matter as its eclectic musical style, which draws on everything from big band and swing to Strauss and Schubert for inspiration.  The New York Times said "’'Powder Her Face’ is a delightful entertainment.... we have a distinctive composer among us."  Celebrated soprano Nancy Gustafson, renowned for leading performances at the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera Covent Garden and La Scala, among others, performs the title role.

Please be advised that Powder Her Face features explicit sexual content and adult situations which are inappropriate for young audiences. 

Aurora Series at the Perelman Theater